The invention relates to a ski stick, which includes an oblong shaft and a handle set on its upper end for the skiier""s hand and a gripping part formed at its lower end.
A ordinary ski stick encompasses an oblong straight stick, onto the lower end of which a suitable gripping part is formed and a handle is formed on its upper end. The gripping part is normally a spike formed at the end of the stick and a ring placed on top of it. The handle is composed of a piece formed on the upper end of the stick, which has a perform for the finger grip. The handle normally also includes a fastening loop. Certain patents relate to the forming of the handle and to the longotudinal flexibility of the ski stick, but such solutions have not become general due to their small advantages.
Traditionally, the ski stick is caused to have a longitudinal propulsion force. The wrist works as a articulated point through which a force is transmitted to the ski stick that is then directed in the longitudinal direction of the stick. When effecting thrusts with a traditional ski stick, the greatest exertion takes place in the extensor and in the muscles in the back.
Out of the drawbacks that occur when using traditional ski sticks, the following can be mentioned:
1. The arm does not gain any support between the palm of the hand and the shoulder. The lever arm by which the force is transmitted from the shoulder onto the ski stick is very long, whereby the force stays very small especially in the beginning of the thrust/pull.
2. The skiier must constantly stress his extensor and cannot rest his arm at any stage of the thrust.
3. The skiier can only use few muscles when thrusting with the ski stick.
4. The skiier cannot use gravity to his advantage with the ski sticks without at the same time having to stress the muscles of his arm intensely.
The object of this invention is to achieve a new kind of ski stick that makes possible the use of new muscle groups in skiing and that removes or reduces the above mentioned disadvantages of known ski sticks.
A ski stick, which includes an oblong stiff shaft and a handle set on its upper end for the skier""s hand and a gripping part formed at its lower end, is characterized in that an elbow support belongs below the handle but at the upper end of the shaft, which support is set to slope obliquely upwards in the direction of the skiing and is set to receive the pressure of the skier""s forearm, to form the bending moment and to transmit these to the shaft. The elbow support projects from the uniform and essentially straight stick formed by the shaft that extends to the handle. A slanting part is formed onto the upper part of the shaft, which slanting part carries the elbow support and whereby the handle is placed at the upper part of the slanting part when seen in the skiing position. The elbow support is set at a 30xc2x0-70xc2x0 angle in relation to the main part of the shaft.
The moment of gyration of the shaft is formed essentially greater in the level set by the shaft and the elbow support than in the transverse level. The ski stick includes a controlling device articulated below the handle and intended to be tied onto the skier""s forearm, set onto the elbow support in such a manner that it will always guide the forearm against the elbow support. The elbow support is tied onto the shaft with a joint and supported from there with a spring organ.
When skiing with a ski stick according to the invention, the forearm is pressed against the elbow support of the ski stick when the stick has been taken to its forward position. Thus when pushing against the surface formed by the elbow support of the ski stick, it is possible to bend the arm and to get the shoulder to move onwards with much force. At this stage the upper arm is almost in the same direction as the ski stick, forming together with the stick a straight support onto which the skier can put some weight and thereby achieve a forward going lean. During the lean, the arm can rest. Then the forearm starts to stress the arm forward and to push the skier forward. The whole thrust stage is much more powerful than with the traditional type of skiing.
The greatest advantage of the invention could be said to be that it is possible while skiing to use wholly new muscle groups and the skiing process requires less power. According to one profitable form of application, the elbow support is formed onto a projection that comes out from the otherwise uniform stick. As another main form of application, the shaft forms a forward going bend in which the sloping part of the shaft, situated below the handle, bears the elbow support. In addition to these there are forms in between, in which the shaft is bent and the elbow support projects backwards from the rest of the stick. All these forms have in common the fact that with the help of this kind of elbow support it is possible to form a strong bending stress onto the ski stick in addition to the compression stress that only existed before.